A man who lit up a crack pipe while being chased by police before he killed a motorcyclist in an East Palo Alto crash has been convicted of second-degree murder, authorities said.

Eric Banford, 48, of East Palo Alto was also convicted of vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence, hit-and-run and evading police in connection with the crash on University Avenue that killed Danny Lee Dixon, 51, of East Palo Alto on Sept. 28, 2011.

The San Mateo County Superior Court jury deliberated for less than two days before returning verdicts Wednesday.

The series of events began when officers investigating a predawn burglary tried to stop Banford on the street. He jumped into a friend's Land Rover with two passengers inside and drove away with his lights off, blowing through stop signs and red lights. The passengers yelled at him to stop, but he refused and lit up a crack pipe, authorities said.

Banford ended up going the wrong way on University Avenue, where he swerved to avoid an oncoming truck and crashed into Dixon as the victim was on his motorcycle. Banford ran away but was soon caught.

Banford is facing a sentence of at least 35 years to life in prison under the state's "three strikes" law, said Chief Deputy District Attorney Karen Guidotti. His criminal history includes a 1991 conviction for voluntary manslaughter for punching a man in the head and killing him during a drug robbery in East Palo Alto.